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Wisconsin in-state class of 2026 offensive lineman Sam Simpson committed to Indiana on Saturday.
The River Falls, Wisconsin, native chose the Hoosiers over other offers from Wisconsin, Kansas, Iowa State, Iowa and Illinois.
Related: Final winter transfer portal destinations for every former Wisconsin Badger
247Sports currently lists Simpson as a three-star recruit, ranked as the No. 48 interior offensive lineman in the class and No. 2 player from the Badger state. Notably, he commits to play for Indiana offensive line coach Bob Bostad — a longtime Wisconsin assistant (TEs coach from 2006-07, OL from 2008-11, ILBs from 2017-21, OL in 2022).
Bostad’s connections to the state of Wisconsin have already paid dividends for the Hoosiers. The team, which went 11-2 in 2024 with a College Football Playoff loss to Notre Dame, was partially carried by strong offensive line play. Wisconsin transfers Trey Wedig (right tackle) and Drew Evans (left guard) were two of the group’s leaders, paving the way for the nation’s No. 34-ranked offense (426.4 total yards per game).
Simpson’s move to Indiana continues a larger trend of Wisconsin in-state recruits committing elsewhere. The Badgers only landed the state’s No. 4 and No. 5 prospects in 2025, No. 4 in 2024, and Nos. 1 and 2 in 2023. He is the first of those top recruits to choose the Hoosiers.
Of course, context exists behind each individual commitment. While Simpson is now a Hoosier, his fringe-three-star ranking highlights the state’s lack of talent in the class — its No. 1-ranked player in the class is three-star iOL James Thomas. Neither of those two top players comes close to eclipsing the blue-chip line.
Wisconsin has still performed well on the recruiting trail despite those recent struggles in-state, finishing the 2024 and 2025 cycles at No. 23 and No. 25, respectively. That…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wisconsin-state-offensive-lineman-commits-160001678.html
Author : Badgers Wire
Publish date : 2025-02-02 16:00:00
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